Fantasy Football Week 2 Starts and Sits

Week 1 was insane, wasn’t it? We had a few huge scoring games that sent fantasy teams over the edge, but in a good way. Caleb Williams went off in his first game against the Carolina Panthers. Williams put up 37.3 fantasy points, making him the QB3 for Week 1. Another big Week 1 performance came from New Orleans Saints wide receiver Chris Olave. Olave went off against the Detroit Lions, finishing as the WR5 with 28.2 fantasy points. If you had these two players, among a few others, you may have won your first week of fantasy football. If you’re sitting at 1-0 right now, great job. If you are 0-1, don’t panic. I know it sucks to not win the first week of fantasy, but it’s not how you start; it’s how you finish.

A new week wipes the slate clean. Now it’s time to get back in the roster room and set your lineups for another week of fantasy football. And I have a few options you might want to consider for your lineup for Week 2.

Week 2 Starts and Sits

Starts

Quarterback

Jayden Daniels vs. DAL

The Cowboys defense got off to a rough start, getting cooked by Jaxson Dart and Cam Skattebo in Week 1. Dart exposed the Cowboys’ defense, finishing with nearly 27 fantasy points and a top-5 finish for Week 1. Now the Cowboys defense has to deal with another scrambling quarterback in Jayden Daniels. The Cowboys allowed the sixth-most fantasy points in Week 1. Unless they button up, they could be in for a long day against Daniels and the Commanders offense, looking to bounce back from a close loss against the Philadelphia Eagles. Daniels finished that game with 17.7 fantasy points.

Matthew Stafford vs. NYG

This is another opportunity to bounce back for Matthew Stafford and the Rams offense after a poor showing in Australia against the 49ers. Stafford was one of the worst fantasy quarterbacks in Week 1, finishing as the QB32. Stafford will get a Giants defense that is banged up. With Paulsen Adebo (knee) landing on injured reserve. Deonte Banks and Greg Newsome II are also dealing with injuries. The one hiccup is Stafford could be missing Puka Nacua, who is dealing with a hip injury. If Puka plays, that better’s Stafford’s chances. But the matchup should be good enough for Stafford to have a good day for fantasy.

Honorable Mention: Dak Prescott vs. WAS

Sits

Daniel Jones vs. KC

The Chiefs’ defense was lights out against Bo Nix and the Broncos’ offense. The Chiefs had Bo Nix looking like he had butter on his hands the way he was fumbling the ball. Nix fumbled three times against the Chiefs and was fortunate to only lose one. Nix was sacked four times during the game. Jones had a tough time against the Ravens’ defense in Week 1, where he put up just nine fantasy points. Jones also threw for just 166 yards on 31 attempts. Jones was great last season, but he’s off to a rough start. He may be better on the bench against the Chiefs for fantasy managers.

Cam Ward vs. PHI

The Philadelphia Eagles are a tough defense to deal with so far this season. The Eagles are currently ranked as the 12th-ranked defense heading into Week 2, managing to keep a lid on Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels until late in the game. The Eagles pass defense allowed the sixth-fewest passing yards in the Week 1 contest. Now Cam Ward and the shaky Titans offense get to face off against the same monster. Ward managed only 140 passing yards against the New York Jets in Week 1, adding just one touchdown and a 4.4 yards-per-attempt average. Battling uphill isn’t even the phrase I’d use in this game. Ward needs to be off fantasy rosters until further notice.

Running Back

Starts

Bucky Irving vs. CLE

I think plenty of fantasy managers were concerned about Bucky Irving’s usage now that Kenneth Gainwell is in the backfield. I think we overplayed that angle. Irving commanded a 64% snap share in Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals, compared to 45.6% snap share for Gainwell. It looks like the Bucs are putting their faith in Irving, so fantasy managers should back his play. The Cleveland Browns are a decent matchup for Irving this week. Irving can do damage as a runner and a passer, making him an optimal choice on a weekly basis. Last week, Irving was 7 for 7 for 48 yards receiving. Combine that with his 5.6 yards per attempt rushing the ball, and Irving is a tough customer to contain.

Jadarian Price vs. ARI

This one might take a little bit of hope, but it seems like the Seattle Seahawks coaches recognize game. Jadarian Price was good in his first game of the season, and now it looks like the rookie will earn more work going forward. To make the matchup even sweeter, Price will go head-to-head against his former Notre Dame teammate, Jeremyiah Love. The Cardinals showed last week they are up for the challenge in slowing down the run. The Cardinals kept Chargers running back Omarion Hampton, capping him at 43 rushing yards and a touchdown. Price getting more work in the offense is in his favor. The Seahawks using him as a passer would also bode well for him. With Sam Darnold out for another few games, the Seahawks will need to rely on Price and the ground game to help them win games.

Sits

Chase Brown vs. HOU

Chase Brown is another solid dual-threat running back. There is a path this week that his receiving prowess can keep him afloat. But I don’t like this matchup. The Texans kept a lid on Bills running back James Cook in Week 1. The Texans defense held Cook to just 57 rushing yards. Brown is averaging 3.5 yards per rushing attempt but did see six targets against the Bucs in Week 1. The Texans will have their hands full dealing with Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and apparently Mike Gesicki, but their run defense will look to keep anything out of the Bengals backfield on lock for Week 2.

Steelers backfield vs. NE

Both Rico Dowdle and Jaylen Warren look to be co-partners in the Steelers backfield. Last week, Warren got the edge in rushing attempts, finishing the game with a 10-8 lead over Dowdle. Both caught six targets, with Warren the better receiver, leading Dowdle 27-6 yards. For now, they will continue to split work until one of them surpasses the other for a larger share. That caps both Warren and Dowdle as far as upside. The New England Patriots defense is a bit tougher against fantasy running backs, allowing just 15 fantasy points in Week 1 (ninth-fewest).

Wide Receiver

Starts

Rashod Bateman vs. NO

No Zay Flowers. No Ja’Kobi Lane. It’s literally “now or never” for Rashod Bateman to make some noise in the Ravens’ passing game. Both aforementioned receivers are out for Week 2 because of injuries, allowing Bateman to see a larger share of the work than normal. Bateman was an afterthought last week, seeing just one target while Zay Flowers went bananas with Lamar Jackson. There’s no way he can mess this up, right? The Saints defense had a hard time keeping Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown in check as he finished with 28 fantasy points. Bateman has a golden opportunity to make a name for himself with this game.

George Pickens vs. WAS

Pickens was not great for fantasy against the Giants in Week 1, so he is looking for his own bounce-back game in Week 2. This time he gets a Commanders defense that ranks 19th in fantasy points allowed to the position. Pickens is one of the most dangerous wide receivers in the league when he’s locked in, and against a division rival, Pickens comes to life. Expect to see the best version of George Pickens against the Commanders in Week 2.

Sits

Marvin Harrison Jr. vs. SEA

The confidence level has to be floating somewhere in Bikini Bottom right about now. Harrison had a decent matchup against the Chargers last week and couldn’t take advantage of it. On top of that, we saw Kendrick Bourne come out of nowhere and become a viable option (possibly) for fantasy. Only seeing three targets in the game, Harrison needs to be more involved for fantasy managers to trust him in their lineups. Going up against Seattle doesn’t make it any easier. The Seahawks currently allow the sixth-fewest fantasy points to wide receivers heading into Week 2. Fantasy managers might want to look elsewhere this week. Maybe Mike Wilson, at least?

Brian Thomas Jr. vs. DEN

I really want Brian Thomas Jr. to be a thing. I’m still captivated by his rookie performance and believe that version is still alive and kicking. But he needs to shake off his most recent shoulder injury and stay on the field. Thomas Jr. only had 40 receiving yards on three catches before going down with the shoulder injury. Now he’ll have to contend with one of the league’s best corners, Patrick Surtain, when facing the Broncos. Surtain locked up Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice until he snuck away for a touchdown. Outside of the score, Rice only had 19 receiving yards on the night. BTJ needs to be on the bench for Week 2.

Tight End

Start

Dalton Schultz vs. CIN

The Houston Texans will be without stud wide receiver Nico Collins for the next few games as he deals with a hamstring injury. They already lost Jayden Higgins before the season started. The extra targets have to go somewhere. Enter Dalton Schultz. One of CJ Stroud’s last remaining and trusted pass catchers. The added volume will be great for Schultz’s fantasy value this week. That might be enough to allow Schultz to have a good game for the Bengals.

Sit

Cade Otton vs. CLE

There are a few items working against Cade Otton this week for fantasy football. For starters, Jaden McMillan returns to the lineup after missing time with a knee injury. The Bucs already have a ton of pass catchers, leaving Otton usually as the odd man out in the offense. The Browns currently rank 15th in fantasy points allowed to the tight end position. But with no real target share to work with, Otton is best left on the bench against the Cleveland Browns.